The News
by Lost in Day Dreams
Summary: Maudeline Everglot has some very important news for Finis, but it not quite sure how to deliver it. Oneshot.


Hi! This is just a little oneshot I came up with a few days ago and thought it would be really interesting to write about. Anyway, here it goes!

Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own anything or I wouldn't be posting them on this fan fiction site! And also, I wouldn't be poor! Ha ha:D

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Maudeline Everglot sat in her plush settee in the living room of her and her husband's cavernous mansion, busily knitting away at a small blanket she was making. It was another dreadfully bleak day, which, quite honestly, is the way she preferred it. It seemed to match the mood she had settled into since the day she had forcibly married her disgraceful toad of a husband.

_Speak of the devil, _she thought as she watched her husband enter the room from the corner of her eye. As long as they were married, she knew she would never grow tired of observing the way he walked. He seemed to sway from side to side with every step, like a swinging door caught in the wind. Though she was sure to never reveal it, his step was so ridiculous, she couldn't help but be amused every time he passed by.

As she turned her attention back to her knitting, Finis stepped up on a stool and, with great difficulty due to his unusually small stature, seated himself in his settee opposite hers. He proceeded to take out a rather large musket that had been sitting by his settee and began to polish it vigorously. Maudeline sighed in annoyance and shook her head. Why he found polishing such a silly little toy amusing was beyond her. Unfazed by her enmity, however, Finis just continued to buff away at his musket, despite the fact that she could nearly see her reflection in it, even from her seat across the room. This only added to her animosity, but she resolved to ignore him as she always did and continue with her task at hand. As usual, a tense but acclimated silence fell between them. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Finis cleared his throat loudly, a habit she greatly despised, and spoke.

"Hildegarde informed me that the doctor visited today," he mentioned, much to Maudeline's disdain. She had rather hoped that he wouldn't bring that subject up so soon.

"Yes," she replied quickly, trying her best to indicate to him that that was about as much information as she was going to offer, but he regrettably continued.

"Well, what did he say of your illness," Finis questioned, sounding more curious than actually concerned.

Maudeline sighed. For the past few weeks, she had been having random bouts of nausea from out of nowhere, causing her to periodically leave the room as quickly as she could without appearing undignified and losing all substances that had been previously consumed. Finis had finally had enough of it (as if she would purposely become ill just to annoy him) and insisted on her seeing a doctor. Growing rather tired of it herself, she agreed. So today, while Finis was out doing heaven knows what (Maudeline never bothered herself with her husband's personal affairs), she had Hildegarde, her maid, fetch the town doctor. He had been able to figure out what was wrong with her quickly, and his diagnosis had come as a complete and utter shock…he had informed her that she and her husband were expecting a child.

For the rest of the afternoon, Maudeline didn't do anything but sit and think about the doctor's news. A child. After two years, her marriage had finally resulted in a child. She was absolutely floored. Of course, Maudeline knew that all marriage's eventually ended up with children. It was almost a law. But for some reason, she never expected _her _marriage to produce children. She never even imagined herself as a mother, and she certainly couldn't picture Finis being the father type. How in the world they were going to raise a child she didn't know. Certainly with a lot of help, she imagined.

But despite all these facts, she couldn't help but have mixed feelings about the tiny thing she was carrying inside her. On the one hand, she despised children in all shapes or forms, especially those that couldn't be controlled. She wouldn't be able to stand having a dirty little creature running about the house, crying and breaking things and causing messes everywhere it went. But then again, maybe knowing that the child was her own would change her feelings, even if only slightly. After all, one couldn't help but love their own child, she supposed. After these thoughts, Maudeline was beginning to anticipate the birth of her first child, more out of curiosity than anything else. The thing she wasn't anticipating, however, was informing her husband of the news.

Now, that moment was upon her, and she was at a complete loss for words. How does one inform a husband that they are expecting, especially to a husband who surely would not be thrilled with the news? After a few more seconds of silence, Maudeline resolved to just come out and say it. Without looking up from her knitting, she opened her mouth to speak.

"I'm expecting a child," she stated matter-of-factly. Not knowing what to do next, she continued with new vigor the sewing project in her hand. It wasn't until about a half a minute later when she realized that Finis hadn't said anything of the news she had just delivered. She decided to put her half-finished blanket down and look up to observe his reaction. When she did, she was completely stunned to find him staring at her, his eyes transfixed on her stomach. She was even more surprised when she began to study the look he had in his eyes. Was it just her imagination, or was there a mixture of shock and, dare she think, _joy_ in his eyes. It couldn't be. She had to be imagining it. But upon further study, she found that she wasn't. There was indeed the slightest hint of joy in his eyes as he gazed upon her. She just couldn't believe it.

Finis finally seemed to notice that she had been watching him. He looked up into her eyes, wearing the same expression that was there when he was staring at her midsection.

"Maudeline," he said, a slight trace of awe escaping into his voice. Maudeline held his gaze, growing rather uncomfortable with the uncharacteristic way he was behaving.

"Yes," she asked, trying her best to sound like her usual sardonic self. This seemed to snap Finis out of his reverie, and as quickly as his strange look came, it disappeared, and was replaced with his usual sullen frown. Clearing his throat loudly once more, he spoke.

"Make it a boy," he commanded. Without another word, Finis scooted to the edge of his seat, leaped off, and with musket still in hand he swayed out of the room. Maudeline sat staring after him with her unfinished blanket in her hand, still not able to believe what had just taken place. For a brief moment or two, her husband had actually acted like, well…a husband. It was remarkable.

Suddenly that anticipation she felt earlier that afternoon came back, and as she continued with her knitting project she couldn't help but feel that anxiousness grow a bit.

_Perhaps having a child won't be such a dreadful thing after all_, she resolved. Picturing the look on her husband's face again, she smirked a bit. _Perhaps it will even prove to be quite interesting._

"Quite interesting indeed…"

THE END

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Well, that's it! There really was no point to it, I know, but it was just a thought that had entertained me for the past couple of days and I simply had to explore it further! 


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